A Mixed-up Weekend

The last time I wrote about my adventures in Kentucky was before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, so this message is an update.

First of all, we didn’t have Thanksgiving on the normal day and time, because Gene & Rezia went to see Gene’s family in western Kentucky, and Leive didn’t want to cook when only the two of us were around to eat. Thus, I went out to get ingredients even on Thanksgiving Day itself (Leive couldn’t get enough of the deal Meijer offered, sweet potatoes for 25 cents a pound!).

Despite all the hoopla, I skipped out on Black Friday and Cyber Monday altogether. In happier times I barely participated in those shopping sprees, so why would I want to take part when I’m out of work? Besides, it’s too much when people plan their holidays around shopping trips, instead of the other way around. Last week on the radio, a local talk show host predicted that soon some businesses will offer after-Christmas specials beginning on the evening of December 25.

I did go out on those days, but it was to prospect for my LegalShield business. I even paid Winchester a visit. So far LegalShield has only 9,000 members in Kentucky, though the population is more than four million. And most of the members are in Louisville, Frankfort and Lexington, so the rest of the state is a virgin market for us. We have talked for the past couple of years about expanding beyond the I-64 corridor, and before my trip to Connecticut, I prospected in Paris and Georgetown for that reason. This year, however, there are other associates working those towns, so now I have picked out Clark County as my target area; I try to visit Winchester once a week. And because I live on the east side of Lexington, Winchester is closer than Paris and Georgetown, too.

Saturday was the coldest day yet, with a high of 36 degrees and a low of 21. That’s a cold November even by Kentucky standards. Still no snow, though. The good news is that the last of the leaves fell from most of the trees this weekend, so I can finish raking the front yard. The weatherman warned of possible snow last night, but this time the temperature stayed above freezing, so we got a quarter inch of rain instead.

Leive finally did her Thanksgiving cooking on Sunday, but because Rezia was ill, she did not come even then. Instead, Gene brought an eight-year-old friend from the church. Here is what Leive prepared:

And here in the foreground are mashed potatoes and fried rice. Leive was especially happy at how the mashed potato recipe turned out. To the left are some lumpias (Philippine egg rolls); she fried some more after this picture was taken.

And don’t forgot our crazy bird, Brin-Brin. He was there, too, but unfortunately he started screaming in the middle of the meal and Leive gave him a time-out (she covered the cage). Oh well, Gene is his nemesis, so he is never happy when Gene is here. He even gets upset, if Rezia comes over alone.

Now that the month is ending on an unexpected note, will the year end with something different, too?